Screen support and anchor



April 28, 1931. H. E. SMITH SCREEN SUPPORT AND ANCHbR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 26, 1927 April 28, 1931. H. E. SMITH SCREEN SUPPORT AND ANCHOR Filed Aug. 26, 192' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V VEN 70R. M; W

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES racemes PATENT OFFICE HERBERT E. SMITH, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO TEXAS IRON WORKS SALES CORPORATION, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS SCREEN SUPPORT AND ANCHOR Application filed August 26, 1927. Serial No. 215,617.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a screen support and anchor.

One object of the invention is to provlde means for securely anchoring a well screen to the well casing or other wall of a well bore, and includes, also, the method of setting the screen.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for anchoring a well screen in a well bore which are releasable to permit the position of the screen, in the bore, to be changed.

At the present time when a screen is set 1n a well bore it is attached to the lower end of a string of pipe and lowered until the screen rests on the bottom of the bore and a packer is then set between the upper end of the screen, and the casing or other walls of the bore to pack ofi' water, or other fluid to prevent it from flowing upwardly or downwardly in the bore on the outside of the screen. \Vhile this packer is being set the entire weight of the string of pipe above is being sustained by the screen, and inasmuch as the screen is often formed of wrapped perforated pipe and consequently thus weakened, and the bore in which it is set is often of irregular contour and follows an irregular course, the weight of the string above it causes the screen to bend, thus opening up the wrapped screening surface on the outer side of the bends and injuring or ruining the screen. It is one of the main objects of this invention to provide means for anchoring the upper end of the screen, or lines attachedto the upper end of the screen, to the casing or other walls of the bore, so that the screen will set lightly on the bottom of the bore, or be suspended in the bore, by said anchoring means and the weight of the string above will be sustained, in whole or in part, by said anchoring means, and not by the screen itself.

A further feature of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is of simple structure, may be cheaply constructed, easily applied and manipulated and which is very efficient in use.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation, use and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the. screen anchor in active position, that is in position to anchor the screen and sustain it in the well.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the screen, partly in section.

Figure 3 shows a vertical sectional view of the screen anchor shown in inactive, or released, position.

Figure 4 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of a packer setting tool employed.

Figure 5 shows a fragmentary vertical sectional view of said setting tool.

Figure 6 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 1, and

Figure 7 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 designates the Well casing adapted to be set in the well bore and the numeral 2 designates the well screen. adapted to be set beneath the casing opposite the oil bearing strata of the well. This screen is of conventional construction, and is usually formed of perforated pipe wrapped with screening wire. Attached to the upper end of the screen, by means of a coupling 3, there is one or more sections of blank pipe, forming the liner 4 whose upper end is upwardly flared, forming an expanding mandrel 5, and the lower end of the tubular packer support 6, is threaded into the upper end of this mandrel. A sleeve like anchor 7 is slidably and rotatably, mounted on the liner 4 beneath said mandrel and the upper end of this sleeve is formed with spaced vertical slots 8, thus forming the flexible arms 9 whose upper ends carry the casing engaging dogs whose outer surfaces are toothed and whose inner surfaces are upwardly flared to conform to the contour of the outer surface of the mandrel 5.

Outwardly curved flat springs 11 are provided whose lower ends fit against the outer surface of the anchor 7, and are bent inwardly against the lower end of the anchor, as at 12. The outside collar 13 is fitted closely around the liner 4 beneath the anchor 7 and its upper end is reamed out formin an inside annular shoulder 14 which abuts the inwardly turned lower ends 12 of the springs 11. The upper end of the collar 14 closely surrounds the lower ends of the s rings 11 and clamps the springs in place an is preferably spotwelded to said springs, as at 15.- The upper ends of the springs 11 are free and press inwardly against the corresponding flexible arms 9 and their outwardly curved middle portions frictionally engage the inside of the casing 1. The lower end of the collar 13, has a laterally turned hook 16 adapted to engage an outwardly projecting stud 17, carried by the liner 4. When so engaged the dogs are held beneath the mandrel 5 and said dogs are then held, by the arms 9, contracted or out of engagement with said casing.

In order to engage the dogs 10 with the casing 1, or other walls of the bore, the liner 4 may be turned to the left through the instrumentalities hereinafter described, to disengage the stud 17 from the hook 16, and then lowered to wedge the mandrel 5 between the dogs 10, to spread said dogs into engagement with the casing. While the liner is being so turned and lowered the friction springs 11 will hold said dogs, and their supporting means, against turning or longitudinal movement in said casing.

The packer sup rt 6 has a surrounding expansible sleeve his packer 18 thereon whose lower end may be seated on an annular seat 19 on the lower end of said support 6 and whose upper end abuts against and may be secured to a collar 20 whose upper end has the vertical slots 21 forming the yieldable dogs 22, integral therewith. The upper end of the support 6 has the external left hand buttress threads 23 and the dogs 22 have corresponding internal threads to mesh with the threads 23. Threaded onto the collar 20, by right hand threads, and upstanding therefrom there is a tubular settin nip le 24 whose upper end is formed wit a ared seat 25, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The numeral 26 designates a stem, or tubular string of pipe which extends up to the ground surface and through which the screen is set and the packer and setting tool handled.

A coupling 27 is screwed onto the lower end of this stem and a tubular reducing nipple 28 is threaded into the lower end of this coupling, the lower end of said nipple being rounded off, or tapered, as at 29. The numeral 30 designates a tubular mandrel whose upper end is attached to the lower end of the mp le 28, and whose lower end 31 is flared an externally threaded. On the mandrel 30 there is a slidable sleeve 32 whose lower end is reduced forming a bushing 33 traction of the bushing 33. The inside contour of the bushing 33 is similar to the external contour of the flared lower end 31 of the mandrel 30 but of somewhat smaller diameter so as to be expanded thereby as hereinafter explained. Tie upper end of the tubular support 6 is internally threaded to receive the bushing 33. The threaded connections uniting the parts of the setting tool and connecting it to the stem 26 are right hand threads. v The mandrel 30 has a mid-section formed with left hand buttress threads 35 and the upper end of the sleeve 32 has the vertical slots 36, staggered with relation to the slots 34, so as not to unnecessaril weaken the sleeve, and forming yieldable ogs 37 havin internal buttress threads to mesh with the threads 35.

A conventional packer and setting tool has been shown and described but it is to be understood that any other type of packer and setting tool found to be practical may be used.

In use the device is assembled as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 and thus let down into the bore, with the lower end 31 of the mandrel 30 screwed into bushin 33 to expand the sallnteeinto mesh with the threads of sup- P The screen may thus be let down to the desired place in the casing and there anchored. If it be desired to anchor the screen suspended and with its lower end off of the bottom, when the desired point is reached the stem 26 may be turned to the left to disengage the stud 17 from the hook 16 and then rther lowered to ermit the mandrel 5 to bottom it should.

sition and when it is then lowered its lower end will reach bottom at the same time said dogs 10 en ge the casing. Should it be desired to re ocate the screen in the bore the stem 26 may be pulled upwardly, carryin the liner 4 and screen 2 with it until the stu 17 is opposite the hook 16 and the liner then turned to the right to engage said hook over said stud and the screen may then be moved" to the desired place and there anchored in the manner hereinbefore explained. Whether-th b su p in he here or anchored with its lower end on bottom, when anchored it will thereafter be relieved of the weight of the stem 26 and setting tool, as wellas of all strains incident to the setting of the packer 18.

When the screen has been anchored in the well the stem 26 may then be turned to the right to unscrew the flared end 31 of the mandrel 30 out of the bushing 33 and said bushing will then contract to release itself from the threads of the support 6 and the r ';em 26 may then be lowered, relative to the setting nipple 24 until the collar 27 seats on the seat and the weight of the stem 26 will usually be suflicient to expand the packer 18. As said packer is expanded the collar 20 will move downwardly, the dogs 22 passing freely over the threads 23, but said dogs 22 will engage the threads 23 to prevent the upward movement of collar 20 and thereby hold the packer expanded. In order to fully expand the packer the stem 26 may be elevated and dropped, the collar 27 serving as a hammer to drive the nipple 24 downwardly to further expand said packer, but when the screen is anchored as above described it will be relieved of all strains incident to this operation.

While the stem 26 is being turned to unscrew the mandrel 30 from the support 6 the dogs 10 will hold the liner and screen against turning relative to the casing.

As the mandrel 30 moves downwardly through the sleeve 32 the teeth, or threads 35, will pass through the dogs 37 but when the packer has been set the stem 26 may be elevated and the bushing, 34, being freed from the support 6 will readily pass upwardly therethrough and it, together with the mandrel 30 and sleeve 32, may be withdrawn, with said stem, from the well, the sleeve being anchored to said mandrel through the do s 37 which now engage the threads 35.

t is obvious that mechanical changes and adaptations may be made in the construction of the device within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a casing in a well upper ends of said friction members resting against said arms, a lateral projection fixed with respect to the screen and a hook carried by the lower end of said collar which may be engaged with and disengaged from said projection, by an appropriate partial rotation of said screen and projection.

2. The combination with a casing in a well bore and a screen therein, of an upwardly flared mandrel attached to the upper end of the screen, an anchor slidably and rotatably mounted relative to the screen beneath said mandrel whose upper end is formed with spaced vertical slots providing flexible arms,

casing engaging dogs carried by the upper ends of said arms and having toothed outer surfaces and upwardly flared inner surfaces to conform to the external contour of said mandrel, friction members whose lower ends engage under said anchor and whose upper ends are in frictional contact with said casing, the upper ends of said friction members resting against said arms, a collar around said anchor having an annular inside shoulder which engagesthe lower ends of said friction members, a lateral projection fixed with respect to the screen and a hook carried by the lower end of said collar, which may be engaged with and disengaged from said projection, by an appropriate partial rotation ,of said screen and projection and means above the mandrel effective to form a seal between said screen and casing.

In testimony whereof-I have signed my name to this specification.

HERBERT E. SMITH.

bore and a screen therein, of an upwardly flared mandrel attached to the upper end of the screen, an anchor slidably and rotatably mounted relative to the screen beneath said mandrel whose upper end is formed with spaced vertical slots providing flexible arms, casing engaging dogs carried by the upper ends of said arms and having toothed outer surfaces and upwardly flared inner surfaces to conform to the external contour of said mandrel, friction members whose lower ends fit against said anchor and are shaped to engage underneath the lower end thereof and whose upper ends are in frictional contact with said casing, a collar around said anchor and friction members and forming means to anchor said friction members in place, the 

